The retrofitted seats will first appear on the carrier's 777s in January 2013, with the A330s to follow in the fourth quarter of 2013, says the Oneworld member.

Each seat has a 47in (120cm) pitch, up from the existing 45in, and a 21in seat width. The seat can be reclined by up to 36in, with a larger 12.1in personal television screen that has audio and video on demand, and individual power supply.

Cathay expects to retrofit 29 aircraft with the new business class seats by the end of 2014, says a spokeswoman.